comfortable walking with God. 4. Of unconquerableneffe againfl all created oppofitions and a(faults ofearthly difcomforts.An ounce offarrowmarts 2 whole lea ofworldly mirth. The boyfteroufneffe andbra- very ofall carnal! joy vanifheth quite away, and expires even as a flowre when the heaterifeth that is fent upon it,upon the very firf approach or prefence of any either outward trou- ble, or inward terror. A prickeofa needle, much more a pang of the Stone, or fit ofthe Gout , is able todeprive a man of thepleafure of the worlds Monarchy. One ferious thought of.death, or the fight of one finnearmedwith Gods anger, will put the proudeR Nimrod, the greedieft engroffer of all earthly delights, into Belfhemtars filivering. But now let the Chriftian, whole heart is fweetly repofed upon the Rocke of eternity, beutterly flript of all outwardcomforts ; let heavie accidents fall upon him as thicke, as onewave in thenecke ofanother; whichbefell bleffed Job : yet he is fill wherehee was;he bathmade Godhis portion, his onely Iewell and joy which bee path in Heaven, or on Earth ; his heart Afixed trufting in theLord; and therefore when all earthly (byes and Raves ofreede , fhrinke in the wetting, and are fhatterd to nothing, hee cleaves with an unthaken and triumphant tran- quilitie of minde to his Somme andAield,Pfal. 84. t i . To his light and 4fe,Ioh. 8, 12. To his firong Tower ofdefrnce and exceedinggreat reward, Gen, r a .1. Hare his fweete and no- ble refolution in this cafe, Hab.3.! 7. I R. Although thefigtree /hallnot 61oforn, neither Aallfruit be in the Vanes : thelabour of the Olive'hailfade and the fields fhallyeeld no meate , the peke:Awl/bee cut offrom the fold,and there (bail beeno herd in theflalles : yet Irrillreioyce in the Lord , Iwill toy in the Godof myfalvation. While le,e6va is in Heaven , his heart is in the haven,though never fo many formesor tempefts ofthe trou. blefome feaof this Worldbeate upon his horde of clay. Rob him ofall earthly refrefhments and lightfomeneffe ofthis IiFe and let but the light of Gods countenance chine uponhim, whichno dariceneffe, nor dungeon, nor in Hell can in- tercept; and he is incomparably more metry,then theWorlds choifeft Minion, Pleafures deareft favourite, or th( brayeft IIellhazzar 177
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=